"Honor? How many ounces of gold is honor worth?
"Ten times! As long as you stand by and do nothing today, I'll give you ten times the silver!!"
The middle-aged man spoke coldly, with the air of someone throwing his wealth around.
"Do you have the silver on you?"
Fang Shuwen asked.
"Shuwen..."
Wang Tao spoke up instinctively, only for Zhou Feixiong to wave him into silence.
The middle-aged man had suddenly offered such a substantial reward, clearly because Fang Shuwen's display just now had been so astonishing that he was unwilling to offend him lightly.
These men were so formidable, yet they were all so wary of the young man.
How could the few people on their side possibly sway him?
If they clashed over words, their attempt might backfire.
The middle-aged man frowned slightly.
"Who carries silver on them when they go out to kill?"
Fang Shuwen laughed.
"So you're trying to catch a white wolf barehanded?
"Besides, it's not that I look down on you... but trying to compete with Master Zhou in wealth? I'm afraid you're a little out of your depth."
With that, he glanced back at Zhou Feixiong.
Zhou Feixiong nodded at once.
"That's right. If you lend us your righteous aid today, young hero, I'll gladly give you a thousand taels of gold as thanks!"
"See!"
Fang Shuwen clapped his hands and said to the middle-aged man,
"Ten times that is ten thousand taels of gold. Do you have it?"
The middle-aged man's face had long since turned livid. He narrowed his eyes and spoke coldly.
"Fine, fine, fine. You won't drink the toast, so you'll drink the forfeit!
"Do you really think we're afraid of you?"
But no sooner had the words left his mouth than Fang Shuwen stepped forward, arriving right in front of him. His fist shot out like a dragon, carrying the faint sound of wind and thunder.
The talks had fallen through, so fighting was only natural.
Fang Shuwen had spent years fighting his way through the streets. He naturally understood that striking first gave him the advantage, and he would never give the man a chance to attack first.
The middle-aged man was indeed caught somewhat off guard, but he immediately flew into a rage.
Unwilling to be outdone, he thrust out both palms, one overlapping the other, with black Qi lurking in their centers.
Fang Shuwen's experience was limited, and he did not know what the middle-aged man's internal art was called.
He only felt a slight chill pass from the man's palms the instant they met his fist, but the internal force of the divine [Muscle Tendon Change] dispelled it in a flash.
Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!!
The middle-aged man's eyes went wide. He had already rated Fang Shuwen as highly as he possibly could.
Yet he had still underestimated him.
His internal force crumbled on contact with Fang Shuwen's, while a terrifying, unstoppable force shattered its way along the meridians in both his arms until it broke his heart meridian.
He did not even have time to cough up blood before his head fell limp, and he died on the spot.
A vicious wind suddenly rushed at Fang Shuwen's ears. Two men in black attacked him from either side, their exquisite moves all aimed to kill.
Wang Tao broke into a cold sweat for him. The two men's moves were too fast and too exquisite; in his place, Wang Tao feared he could not have withstood even one.
What he did not know was that Fang Shuwen saw through their moves as clearly as a fire, as if studying the lines on his own palm.
Fang Shuwen raised his left hand and used [Plum Blossom Loose Hands], his five fingers fluttering as though playing a pipa.
In an instant, he slipped through a weakness in the man's moves and caught his wrist with a turn of his hand.
Pivoting on his left leg, he spun around.
He pulled the man along and sent him crashing into the other attacker.
The other man was halfway through his move when Fang Shuwen vanished from sight. Before he could recover, darkness filled his vision, followed by two successive sounds.
The first was the sound of the two men colliding; the second was the crash of their bodies striking the ground.
With [Muscle Tendon Change] at grand completion, both [Plum Blossom Loose Hands] and [Four Seas Dragon Fist] unleashed power they should not have possessed.
One of the men scrambled to his feet, but before he could attack, a hand seized his head and face. The hand was like cast bronze and iron, and no matter what he did, he could not break free.
Gripping the man's head, Fang Shuwen walked over to the other attacker, raised his foot, and stomped directly on his head.
A thunderous thud rang out, and the man's entire head was almost driven into the ground.
He died on the spot.
Immediately afterward, Fang Shuwen tightened his five fingers. With a crack, the man's entire face and half his head were crushed to a pulp.
Blood dripped from Fang Shuwen's fingertips onto the ground, each drop seeming to beat against everyone's heart like a drum.
Of the men who had surrounded the main courtyard, only two remained, and they felt their blood run cold.
Success had been within their grasp. Where had this expert come from?
How could he sweep through them like a storm tearing through rotten wood!?
Not one opponent could withstand a single exchange with him?
He treated every opponent equally, killing them with scarcely a need for a second move.
An expert?
No, he was a monster!!
The two exchanged a glance. Without another moment's hesitation, they turned to leap away.
They were no match for an expert like him.
But while they were still in midair, both felt a grip tighten around their ankles. They looked down to find Fang Shuwen holding one ankle in each hand.
"Since you gentlemen came uninvited, why not stay for a chat?"
As the words fell, a terrifying, irresistible force coursed through their bodies.
Unable even to circulate their internal breath, they had no strength to struggle free. They could only watch as Fang Shuwen swung them high into the air and then slammed them viciously into the ground.
Once, twice!
After only three to five blows, not a single bone in their bodies remained intact.
Blood poured from their seven orifices, covering their features. Their lives ebbed away rapidly, and they had reached the end.
Fang Shuwen gently wiped his hands and looked at Zhou Feixiong, who had long since gone completely dumbstruck.
"Master Zhou, fortunately, I didn't fail you.
"But a great many intruders broke in tonight. These men were probably the experts among them.
"Apart from them, though, plenty of others are scattered around the courtyards... we still need to respond quickly."
Zhou Feixiong woke as if from a dream and nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, yes. You're right, young hero."
He hurriedly looked at the attendants beside him, his gaze settling on Wang Tao.
But he found that Wang Tao was also staring blankly...
After all, Zhou Feixiong did not know Fang Shuwen, but Wang Tao knew his circumstances.
Mo Beidou had made it very clear: his junior brother was kind and good-natured, and he worked hard at martial arts. Unfortunately, he had lived such a miserable life in his early years that his foundation had been damaged, and his martial arts had reached their limit.
Mo Beidou hoped Wang Tao could recommend him as a guard for the Zhou Family. He sought no great riches or honors, only a stable life without having to worry about food and clothing.
But seeing him now, Wang Tao wished he could take a stick and give Mo Beidou a vicious beating.
This was what he called kind?
The men deserved to die, but this kid had killed them while chatting and laughing, without even blinking, hadn't he?
And his foundation was damaged? Did this look like a man with a damaged foundation?
His martial arts had reached their limit?
If this wasn't the limit, did he intend to become invincible under heaven?
Storm waves surged in Wang Tao's heart. Only after Zhou Feixiong called him several times did he come back to his senses and hurriedly cup his fists.
"My apologies. My mind wandered."
Zhou Feixiong understood perfectly, but he hurriedly said,
"Attendant Wang, please lead the experts and organize the household guards to fight off the attackers."
"All right!"
Though Wang Tao was injured, he did not hesitate.
Besides, thanks to Fang Shuwen's arrival, the attendants had not all been killed.
With them there, the situation tonight could still turn around.
Fang Shuwen had intended to go with Attendant Wang, but Zhou Feixiong called him back.
Together with the two remaining attendants and Madam Zhou, they went to the Zhou Family Ancestral Hall.
There was a secret passage behind the ancestral hall, and at the bottom of the passage was a hidden chamber.
A good deal of food and drinking water had been prepared there.
Clearly, it was a precaution taken long ago.
Zhou Feixiong took a stack of silver notes from his robes. A cursory glance showed that they amounted to no less than two thousand taels.
He pressed them all into Fang Shuwen's hands. Fang Shuwen was taken aback.
"What's this?"
"Your wages."
Zhou Feixiong spoke sincerely.
"Although I don't know why someone with such peerless divine skill would condescend to serve as an unknown guard at my estate,
"you have shown benevolence and righteousness, young hero, and helped us out of danger.
"I, Zhou Feixiong, am not an ungrateful man. Apart from your wages, please accept the rest of these silver notes as a small token of my gratitude. Please don't refuse.
"As for the thousand taels of gold I promised you, I'll present them to you with both hands once the turmoil outside is over.
"But there is one more matter I would like to ask your help with!"
Fang Shuwen was not surprised. He merely smiled.
"Please, speak freely, Master Zhou."
He could say that, but whether he agreed would depend on how difficult the matter was.
Zhou Feixiong said,
"My daughter, Zhou Qingmei, lives at Lakeheart Cottage, three li north of the city.
"From what that man said earlier, I'm afraid our enemies have already gone after her.
"I beg you to lend her your aid, young hero. If you agree, whatever your demands, so long as it is within my power, I won't hesitate!"
[Ding! New escort mission detected.]
[Protect Zhou Qingmei until the crisis is resolved!]
[Accept mission?]
P.S. Until the new book reaches sixty thousand characters, there will be three chapters a day.
At eleven in the morning, six in the afternoon, and seven in the evening.
After sixty thousand characters, it will change to two updates a day to fit the recommendation system~ Thanks for your support~